Aerosol container adapter collar



Nov. 10, 1964 J. N. MICHELL AEROSOL CONTAINER ADAPTER COLLAR Filed Aug.17, 1962 United States Patent 3,156,382 AEROSOL CONTAINER ADAPTER COLLARJerome. N. Michell, Highland Park, Ill., assignor to W. R. FrankPackaging Engineers, Inc., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 17,1962, Ser. No. 217,616 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-482) This invention relates toan aerosol container adapter collar or fitment, and more particularly tosuch an adapter or fitment that can be attached by a snap fit to anaerosol container and is provided on its upper surface with at least onestep to which an aerosol container overcap may be secured.

Present aerosol container caps are customarily attached to theircontainers by a snap fit either with (l) the inher or outer rim of thecenter mounting .cup of the coutainer, (2) the inner or outer rim of thetop of the metal container can, or (3) a continuous ring or series ofdimples on the breast of the container. Aerosol container overcaps areusually formed of various types of plastics (for example, polystyrene,polyethylene, linear polyethylene, polypropylene) or metal. The largemajority of aerosol containers are of metal and the breasts and mountingcups are also usually formed of metal.

Because there is no elasticity or give in .a metal rim, breast, ormounting cup and because necessary tolerance variations always affectthe engaged diameter, it has not been feasible to use the leastexpensive rigid plastic materials (such as general purpose styrene) inthe manufacture of the container cap because the rigid plastic is unableto stretch over the metal rim or metal mounting cup and therefore thecap may crack when applied to the container.

The present invention overcomes the difficulties just mentioned bypermitting the introduction of a softer, more elastic material (as, forexample, a suitable plastic) between the container and the overcap, thusmaking possible the use of less expensive plastics in the production ofthe cap.

In addition, where heretofore the aerosol overcap has been restricted insize to one that will fit the fixed dimensions of the outer rim of themetal can, the breast or the mounting cup, the adapter collar of thisinvention may be designed to fit any desired size of overcap withoutregard to the previously fixed dimensions of the container parts justmentioned. This flexibility of design is important in the aerosolcontainer industry because oftentimes the containers and 'overcaps aremade by entirely different manufacturers, and in all cases is importantbecause it provides a desirable variety of choice in size and appearanceof the overcap.

The adapter collar of this invention includes an annular ring which hasa downwardly extending flange that snaps either onto the mounting cuprim or the outer rim of the container top. The inner diameter of theannular ring is larger than the diameter of the aerosol valve, which cantherefore rise above the mounting cup. The

' adapter collar is provided with at least one step around its topsurface which has dimensions such that it will receive and hold acontainer cap, either by a friction fit or by a snap fit, as desired.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an aerosol container withthe adapter collar of this invention in place thereon and the containercap shown in phantom;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded side elevation showing the adapter collar ofthis invention-above the aerosol container;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the adapter collar of FIGURE. 2;

scribed above.

3,156,382 Patented Nov. 10, 1964 FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sideelevation of the adapter collar of FIGURE 2 in place upon an aerosolcontainer, with the container cap in turn secured to the adapter collar,both the cap and adapter collar being broken away;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, except that it shows a differentembodiment of the adapter collar of this invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the adapter collar of FIGURE 5.

Aerosol container 10 in FIGURE 1 is a conventional container, with theaerosol valve omitted for clarity. Adapter collar 11 is secured to theouter rim of mounting cup 12 of the container 10 (best seen in FIGURES 2and 4). Container cap 13 is shown in phantom in this figure, secured tostep 14 of adapter collar 11 by a friction fit. v

Adapter collar 11 may be formed of any suitable, relatively softmaterial. It may, for example, be formed by injection molding of athermoplastic material. The adapter collar may, if desired, be of acolor contrasting with the color of the side walls of aerosol container19, or it may be of the same color as those side walls. The colorselected may be that of the formed plastic itself, or the color may beobtained by spraying or otherwise applying paint to the member.

As is seen in FIGURE 2, adapter collar 11 includes annular ring 15 fromwhich downwardly extending flange 16 depends. Flange 16 carries aninternally projecting bead or flange 17, which is adapted to form a snapfit with the rim of mounting cup 12 of container lil. As shown, the snapfit here is with the outer portion of the mounting cup rim.

In the embodiment shown, downwardly extending flange 20 also dependsfrom annular ring 15. Flange 20 helps grip mounting cup 12, to produce amore secure attachment of adapter collar 11 to container 10. If desired,bead 17 may be omitted from downwardly extending flange 16, and a beadmay be provided on downwardly extending flange 20 to provide a snap fitwith the inner rim instead of the outer rim of mounting cup 12.

The inner portion of annular ring 15 is completed by horizontal wall 21and vertical wall 22. Opening 23,

defined by the interior diameter of annular ring 15, is

larger than the diameter of the aerosol valve which is to be positionedat the center of container 16 to rise above mounting cup 12.

As will be seen in both FIGURES 1 and 2, step 14 terminates indownwardly extending curtain flange 24. With the embodiment of collaradapter 11 shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2 being secured to aerosol container10 at mounting cup 12, curtain flange 24 is provided solely for the sakeof appearance.

FIGURE 3 gives a top plan view of collar adapter 11. Annular ring 15carries step 14 on its upper surface, the latter terminating in curtainflange 24. Opening 23 at the center of the collar adapter is defined byelements 21 and 22 of the inner portion of the adapter.

FIGURE 4 shows collar adapter 11 in place on container 10, secured tomounting .cup 12 of the container by the snap fit produced by bead 17carried by downwardly extending flange 16. Cap 13 is in place uponcollar adapter 11, secured thereto by a friction fit.

FIGURE 5 shows another embodiment 3d of the adapter collar of thisinvention in place upon container 10. As shown, adapter 30 is secured tocontainer 10 by a snap fit with outer rim 311 of the container toprather than with the rim of mounting cup 12 as with adapter 11 de-Collar adapter 30 includes annular ring 32, which carries at its outerperiphery downwardly extending flange 33. Flange 33 terminates ininwardly extending bead or flange 34, adapted to form a snap fit withrim 31 of the container top. In the embodiment shown, the snap fit iswith the outer portion of rim 31, but if desired flange 33 and bead 34may be constructed to produce a snap fit with the inner portion of therim.

The adapter carries on its upper surface steps 35 and 36. In theembodiment shown, container cap 13 is adapted to form a friction fitwith step 35. It is seen, however, that a container cap of a differentsize could form a friction fit with step 36. Collar adapter 30 is thusseen to provide additional flexibility in use, 'for it may beconstructed to fit a plurality of container caps.

Opening 37 at the center of collar adapter 30 is formed by downwardlyextending flange 38 which depends from annular ring 32. The aerosolvalve is again omitted for clarity.

FIGURE 6 gives a top plan view of collar adapter 30. It shows annularring 32, with steps 35 and 36 on its upper surface, and downwardlyextending flange 33 at the outer periphery of the adapter. Downwardlyextending flange 38 at the center of the adapter defines opening 3'7through which the aerosol valve may extend above the mounting cup of thecontainer with which the adapter is used.

If desired, container cap 13 and steps 14, 35 and 36 may be constructedso that the cap fits upon the collar adapter of this invention with asnap fit rather than a friction fit. In either event, the flexibility inchoice of material for the collar adapter produces the severaladvantages referred to above.

The above detailed discussion of this invention has been given forclarity of understanding only. No unnecessary limitations should beunderstood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilledin the art.

I claim:

1. An adapter collar for an aerosol container having a container topouter rim, a mounting cup rim and an aerosol valve positioned above saidrim which comprises: an annular ring having inner and outer diametersand a downwardly extending flange, said flange being adapted to securethe ring to one of the outer rim of the container top and the mountingcup rim, the inner diameter of the annular ring being larger than thediameter of the aerosol valve button positioned above the rim, saidannular ring having a plurality of steps on its u er surface portion,each step having a part which is disposed in a vertical direction, thevertical parts of said steps being located at different disstances fromthe center of the adapter collar, and each of said vertical parts beingadapted to receive and coact with a container cap to hold the same, sothat the adapter collar may be used with various sizes of containercaps.

2. The adapter collar of claim 1 in which said downwardly extendingflange is positioned at the outer diameter of said ring to secure saidannular ring to the outer rim of the aerosol container top.

3. The adapter collar of claim 1 in which said downwardly extendingflange is positioned inwardly of the outer diameter of said ring tosecure said annular ring to the mounting cup rim of the aerosolcontainer.

4. The adapter collar of claim 1 in which each of said vertical parts ofthe plurality of steps is of a diameter to form a friction fit with acontainer cap of a given size to hold the cap to the vertical part.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,767,888 10/56Softer 222-182 2,831,613 4/58 Softer 222-182 3,013,700 12/61 Steinkamp222-562 X 3,075,673 1/63 Fredette 222-394 X 3,112,048 11/63 Finkenzeller222-182 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner.

1. AN ADAPTER COLLAR FOR AN AEROSOL CONTAINER HAVING A CONTAINER TOPOUTER RIM, A MOUNTING CUP RIM AND AN AEROSOL VALVE POSITIONED ABOVE SAIDRIM WHICH COMPRISES: AN ANNULAR RING HAVING INNER AND OUTER DIAMETERSAND A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE, SAID FLANGE BEING ADAPTED TO SECURETHE RING TO ONE OF THE OUTER RIM OF THE CONTAINER TOP AND THE MOUNTINGCUP RIM, THE INNER DIAMETER OF THE ANNULAR RING BEING LARGER THAN THEDIAMETER OF THE AEROSOL VALVE BUTTON POSITIONED ABOVE THE RIM, SAIDANNULAR RING HAVING A PLURALITY OF STEPS ON ITS UPPER SURFACE PORTION,EACH STEP HAVING A PART WHICH IS DISPOSED IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION, THEVERTICAL PARTS OF SAID STEPS BEING LOCATED AT DIFFERENT DISSTANCES FROMTHE CENTER OF THE ADAPTER COLLAR, AND EACH OF SAID VERTICAL PARTS BEINGADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND COACT WITH